Recycle and upcycle denim jeans into planters

by Debra Anchors

This set of planters, created by Tom Ballinger, was the star of the show at BBB Seed during one of their seasonal open houses.  I wrote a feature about this inspirational display last year on my website, Gardens Inspired.


Suggestions for creating one of these displays were offered by my readers;  I have highlighted the possibilities below.

• Place a kitchen size garbage bag inside each leg and then fill each with something that could follow the line of the jeans, but also be heavy enough to hold the planters in place. Use another kitchen garbage bag for the seat of the jeans, filled with a quality garden soil.

• Thread some rope through the belt loops of the jeans and then attach them to something sturdy, such as a fence.  Bubble wrap or crumpled plastic grocery bags could then be used to shape the legs.

• Consider constructing a PVC & wood block armature for rigidity then fill with a substance along the lines of shipping peanuts.  Then, either use the PVC pipe as the planter or secure plastic pots to the armature.

Will you create an inspirational planter of your own this year?

Note:  For convenience, I have embedded links into the text that will take you to the products used in this project.

Recycle, upcycle and do it yourself?  Absolutely!  Have you upcycled something unique for your garden from recycled materials?  Please share it with me so I can feature your creation here.

If you enjoy this website, you might like my magazine, Gardening Life.  AND, don’t miss my more traditional gardening website, Gardens Inspired.

I hope you found inspiration today.  Remember to subscribe, so you won't miss a thing!

Until next time -
Debra